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Canning Vegetables Safely
• Help Desk: 800-442-4614
• Phone in to today’s program
– Toll: 630-424-2356
– Toll Free: 855-947-8255
– Passcode: 6774570#
• Program will be archived:
http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/ Look under the
‘Lunch & Learn’ tab
Canning Vegetables Safely
Lunch & Learn
12 noon to 1 pm
July 14, 2014
What vegetables do you like to can??
Per Capita Consumption of Canned
Vegetables
Pounds per person per year in the U.S.
Vegetable
1970
2005
1970-2005
% Change
% of 2005
Total
Tomatoes
21.5
25.5
18
59
Sweet corn
8.8
5.3
-40
12
Chile peppers
NA
3.7
NA
9
Snap beans
2.4
2.0
-14
5
Other canned
vegetables
1.3
1.9
49
4
Resources for Canning Vegetables
• How Do I...Can Vegetables and Vegetable Products
(National Center for Home Food Preservation) www.uga.edu/nchfp
– Asparagus …. to Winter Squash
• So Easy to Preserve book & video
• Safe & Healthy: Preserving Food at Home
http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/
Canning Vegetables Safely (B1159) – Recipes tab
– Safe recommendations for all parts of WI
Canning videos – Videos tab (canning green beans)
Mini-module – Pressure Canning 101 (also under the Video tab)
Because of the risks involved and the difficulty in establishing new recipes,
there are few sources of research-tested recipes for canning vegetables
safely. Use only up-to-date, research-tested recipes!
Canning Vegetables
• Acids naturally found in foods help control microbial
growth
• Vegetables are low in acid and must be canned in a
pressure canner
• Higher temperatures obtained in a pressure canner
destroy the spores of Clostridium botulinium
• If not destroyed, the spores could germinate and
grow, producing the deadly botulinum toxin
A Global Look at Home Canning:
Canning Vegetables
A nationwide telephone survey was conducted ~10 years ago; over 5,000
homes were phoned and 501 surveys were completed with consumers
processing food at home.
USDA recommends using a pressure canner for
processing low-acid vegetables. Of respondents:
•
•
•
•
•
30% used a pressure canner for vegetables
29% used a pressure cooker
39% used a boiling water canner
15% used the ‘open-kettle’ method (no processing)
3% used the oven for ‘canning’ vegetables
Know Your Pathogen: C. botulinum
• Some bacteria produce spores, a dormant stage of life that
can survive harsh conditions.
• Spores of C. botulinum can survive 4-6 hours in boiling water!
Spores of other bacteria can survive up to 18 hours of boiling!
• Spores will germinate, grow, and produce toxin when the
conditions are right:
o Packaged in an air-tight sealed container
o Product pH greater than 4.6
o Storage at room temperature
Cells and spores of C. botulinum
• Toxin is a neurotoxin. Ingestion can result in death.
8
Botulism Food Poisoning
• Botulism toxin is one of the deadliest toxins known.
• Food may contain the toxin without looking spoiled.
• The symptoms of botulism poisoning are blurred,
double vision; difficulty swallowing, speaking and
breathing; paralysis. Eventually death from
asphyxiation results.
 Prevention requires that foods be properly
prepared and processed.
‘Recipe’ for Danger
1 Food, pH above 4.6
1 Air-tight canning jar
1 Room @ standard temperature
ADD: C. botulinum spores
WAIT! The spores, they are everywhere – in soil, in the air
– you don’t need to add them.
Dangerous recipes are those that are not research-tested,
or that use equipment not approved for canning.
Canned summer squash
NO safe recipes for this.
Canned pesto NO
safe recipes for this.
Dishwasher canning is
NOT an approved method,
10
Botulism Strikes Spokane Mother, Two
Children February 28, 2009
…The Associated Press reported that three people in Spokane, Washington, have become
ill from botulism. The botulism apparently occurred from improper canning techniques
used in home-canning of green beans vegetables from a private home garden.
The woman was a nurse in her 30s with two children
under ten. She became ill enough to be put on a
ventilator; the children suffered milder symptoms. The
incident was linked to difficult economic times.
Lack of knowledge will not cure
someone in the hospital, but it
may put them there!
11
Pressure Canning
• High temperatures, 240°F and
above are achieved
• Dial gauge measures
incremental changes in
pressure
• Weighted gauge measures
pressure at 5,10, or 15 pounds
(psi)
A pressure canner is required to safely
can low-acid vegetables. The pressure
in these canners raises the
temperature above the boiling point of
water and allows safe processing of
low-acid foods.
Weighted Gauge
Dial Gauge
Average pH Values of Food
Food Item
Lemons
pH
Food Item
2.2 Onions, peppers
pH
5.5
Vinegar
Grapes, rhubarb
Strawberries, apples
Grapes, Cherries
3.1
3.2
3.4
4.0
5.5
5.7
6.0
6.2
Tomatoes
Mangoes (green/ripe)
4.5 Milk, Cantaloupe
6.2
4.8 Asparagus,mushrooms 6.5
5.8
Bananas, Figs
5.2 Corn
Beef
Cucumbers
Chicken
Carrots, Beans, Beets
6.8
Many foods are mixtures of high-acid and low-acid ingredients. Low-acid foods with a
pH above 4.6 MUST be canned in a pressure canner
13
The ‘Problem’
A sealed jar does NOT equal a safe jar.
• 2-piece lid
– ring holds the lid in place during canning, lid has a sealing
compound
• As the food heats, it expands into the headspace
and pushes air out
• Once the jar begins to cool, the food contracts and
a vacuum forms, sealing the lid
Relatively little heat treatment is required to get a
jar to seal!
Canning Vegetables Safely
• Select high quality vegetables.
• Wash all vegetables, and peel and/or blanch if required.
• Choose hot pack for a higher quality product.
– Use liquid from blanching for a more flavorful pack
• Pack into prepared hot jars; use 2-piece lids
• Adjust seasoning as desired.
– You may safely reduce or eliminate salt from canned vegetables!
– You may safely add a small amount of herbs or garlic to pressure
canned vegetables!
• Adjust for headspace.
• NEW! Ball lid preparation instructions do NOT require
preheating of lids.
(More) Hints for Canning
Vegetables Safely
• Place filled jars on a rack in 2-3 inches of HOT water in
canner.*
• Apply lid and allow canner to vent for 10 minutes.
• Seal vent port with weight or seal.
• Bring canner to pressure with high heat.
– Once pressure is reached, start timing.
– Weighted gauges jiggle 2-3 times per minute, or rock gently the entire
time. A dial gauge registers pressure.*
• Canner must remain at, or above, pressure for the entire time
stated in the recipe.
• At the end of the process, turn off the heat and allow to cool.
*Refer to Pressure Canner booklet for instructions.
Caution!
• Never force cool a canner.
• Use only the jar sizes listed in research-tested
recipes.
• Do not thicken product with flour or cornstarch, or
add pasta or rice prior to canning.
• Do not add extra fat.
• Cut food pieces to the size required.
• Choose mixtures carefully.
– A mixture of vegetables, or meat and vegetables, is processed
for the time listed for the food with the longest processing
time– generally corn, tomatoes, or meat.
Don’t Forget
• Process at the correct pressure.
– As elevation increases above 1,000 feet (dark gray
areas on the map), pressure increases from 10 psi to
15 psi
– Pressure remains at 11 psi (dial) up to 2,000 feet
• If at any time during the process the pressure falls
below target, bring the pressure back up and
start timing from the beginning.
• Find your elevation:
http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/recipes/
*Note: darker areas on the state map have an elevation above 1,000 feet.
Increase time when boiling water canning; increase pressure when
pressure canning.
A word about canners and cookers
Pressure canners and pressure cooker are NOT necessarily the
same thing.
• The heat in the canning process is divided into the comeup time, the process time, and the cool down time. A
cooker often heats and cools too quickly, shortening the
total heat process.
• Pressure canners must hold at least 4 Quart jars and be
able to regulate pressure at 5, 10, and 15 pounds (psi).
 Use of a pressure cooker is not recommended for home
canning.
Not an approved canner 
What if….
• Jars fail to seal: reprocess or refrigerate or freeze within 24 hours.
• To reprocess jars: empty the jars, heat the contents (hot-pack) and
add back to jars leaving sufficient headspace, apply new lids, vent and
process for the full time indicated.
• More than half the liquid is lost in the jar: excess liquid
loss often indicates excessive temperature (pressure) fluctuation. Losing
more than half the liquid that you added may indicate under-processing.
Store these jars refrigerated.
• You leave the canner filled with jars to cool
overnight: the canner may become sealed and jars of food may spoil.
Master Gauge
Testing Canners
Dial-gauge canners should be tested
at least once each year to ensure the
dial is functioning properly
– Calibrate the canner gauge against the
master gauge
– Canner can be off by +2 pounds
– Even brand new dials should be tested!
– Tester can be used to test dial gauges for
National, MagicSeal, Maid of Honor and
Presto canners
Video: Using the Presto Tester Unit (Univ of KY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euIFtIURpdU
Frequently Asked Canning Questions
• How long do I process quart jars of cream-style corn?
• How long do I process my soup mix that contains tomatoes,
corn, black beans, and onion?
• Do I have to peel potatoes before canning?
• Can I use jars and lids that I purchased last year? What about
non-Ball jars/lids?
• How long can I store my home canned items?
• Do I purchase a dial or weighted gauge canner?
FAQ- Answers
• How long do I process quart jars of cream-style corn? You don’t.
There are no tested recipes!
• How long do I process my soup mix that contains tomatoes, corn,
black beans and onion (qt jars, hot pack)? Process mixtures
based on the ingredient with the longest process time –
85 min for corn.
• Do I have to peel potatoes before canning? Yes, the skins carry
a higher botulinal spore load; potatoes must be peeled
before canning. Other crops such as carrots don’t
require this step.
FAQ - Answers
• Can I use jars and lids that I purchased last year? What about non-Ball
jars/lids? You can use jars and lids from last year – just be
sure to store in a cool, dry location. Jars must stand up to
the high pressure, use only jars designed for canning. Use
only 2-piece lids.
• How long can I store my home canned items? Properly canned
foods are safe indefinitely, but will begin to lose quality
after 3 years on the shelf (assuming a cool, dry location); 1 year is
recommended.
• Do I purchase a dial or weighted gauge canner? It’s up to you! A
dial gauge canner you can ‘read’, a weighted gauge canner
you can ‘hear.’
More Tips for Pressure Canning
Problem: Smooth-top ranges require a
smooth-bottomed pan or kettle. The
canner can not extend over the burner by
more than 1-inch, or you risk cracking the
range surface (an expensive mistake!).
Solution: Call the stove manufacturer to see what is suggested. If
canning is allowed, use a canner with an ‘outset’ bottom. The small
area of the canner base that is outset will more likely fit the larger
burner on a stove and allow for processing without risk of cracking
the stove top.
25
Keeping Your Canner in Good Working
Order
• At the end of processing, wash and dry the canner
base. Dry the canner lid and check the vent port.
Remove the gasket from the lid, dry, and store in the
base. Do not oil the gasket.
• Check dial gauges every year for accuracy.
• Replace gasket and overpressure plug ~ every 2
years. Contact manufacturer for parts.
What’s new? Canners
• The All-American Canner.
– Metal-to-metal seal (tightened with wing-nuts)
– A weighted gauge canner with a reference dial gauge.
These should not be/do not need to be tested with
our dial testers.
• Larger capacity tall canners allow for doublestacking.
– Canners such as the Presto 23-qt. model can hold 2
layers of pint jars.
– Be sure to place a rack on the bottom of the canner
and between layers.
Dietary Salt (Na) and Canned
Vegetables
March 2013 – Bon Appetit magazine
Salt is often used by the food industry for the primary
purpose of enhancing flavor. Consumers wishing to limit salt
(sodium) intake may struggle with food selection while trying
to maintain health.
Test: Sodium (Na) in canned beans with and without
rinsing
Product
No rinsing
Rinsed and drained
½ cup
mg Na
mg Na
Black Beans
424 mg
232 mg
Red Kidney Beans
260 mg
148 mg
Rinsing and draining lowered sodium by more than 40%. This is
similar to, or lower than, ‘low sodium’ brands.
Next…in our Lunch & Learn Series
July 21, 2014
12 noon to 1 pm
Canning Tomatoes & Tomato Products
Whether pressure canning whole tomatoes, canning salsa in a
boiling water canner, or even making tomato jam – options
abound for safely preserving tomatoes at home.
Webinars will be archived to:
http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/webinars/